


A Predisposition for Lace

by BronzeAgeLove



Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: F/M, Interspecies Awkwardness, Interspecies Relationship(s), Lingerie, Valentine's Day Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-14
Updated: 2018-02-14
Packaged: 2019-03-15 14:54:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13615716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BronzeAgeLove/pseuds/BronzeAgeLove
Summary: Adessar finds himself buying lingerie for Miura for Valentine's Day because one of his squadmates told him that human females have a genetically inherited love of lacy underwear... but shopping for other species is never as easy as originally thought, especially not when your quasi-girlfriend is well-known for being the surly type.





	A Predisposition for Lace

**Author's Note:**

> A sidestory for the ongoing adventures of C-Sec officers Adessar and Miura (starring in „Don‘t Hate, Elevate!“).
> 
>  
> 
> This was written for #leather&lace2018 on Tumblr.  
> Prompt: Valentine's Day
> 
> Rated a slightly raunchy T for language
> 
> *The Mass Effect Universe belongs to BioWare. OCs are my own*

“If you have a girlfriend, you have to get her some fancy underwear for Valentine's, it‘s very traditional, trust me.”

The whole conversation had started so innocently with him asking that prick Giuliani about why all the human shops on the Citadel had started decorating their displays with red hearts… and somewhere along the way it had escalated into a discourse about “tradition”, “romance” and “getting it on” that he wasn't exactly sure about how much of it was the truth. Romance wasn't really high on his list, but _getting it on_? That was more up his alley.

It had given him this… idea that wouldn't leave him.

 

Scratching the plates on the back of his head in frustration, Quintus Adessar stood in the brightly-lit entrance to a lingerie shop- and felt utterly lost. He who usually would never feel embarrassed by anything, or anyone, just didn't know what to do about all this Valentine's stuff. Unfortunately, extranet searches about the topic hadn't turned out much better, burying him in an avalanche of erotic menu ideas, adverts for sweets and flowers, and oodles of stories about _how I met my SO_. In the end, he'd closed all the tabs, left with a lingering feeling that half of humanity seemed to adore the tradition of Valentine's Day and went out of their way to make something special for their lovers, and the other half hated it with unparallelled fervor. Giuliani's explanations had to be trustworthy enough.

 _Listen, bro. All girls dig lacy underwear,_ he had told him on patrol with a knowing grin and an elbow nudge to Adessar's ribcage. _Just get them some chocolate and a pretty bra and they're putty in your hands, you'll see. Got myself that asari chick once on Valentine's, and all it took was a frilly thong..._

Well yeah. Maybe not if your quasi-girlfriend was the angriest member of the Riot Squad and well known for being temperamental. Not that he voiced his concerns to Giuliani, because if Mister 'Italian Blabbermouth' had known how hopelessly smitten Adessar was with surly Chiho Miura, he'd never see the end of it. To be honest, since they weren't actually a _real_ couple and he had never been in a comparable situation before, Adessar didn't even know if she was into romantic stuff at all and if buying underwear was appropriate at this stage of their, let's face it, _relationship_ , or if she belonged to those humans who hated Valentine's Day. Yet Giuliani had insisted that deep inside, all girls were princesses dreaming about a shining hero to give them pretty things, and that the love for lacy underwear was genetically predisposed in female humans, so never mind the special date, maybe it'd make her happy? Adessar knew Miura could surely use some happy, she'd looked quite down the last few days.

The chocolates were easy to procure. The sheer price of imported sweets from Earth made him stagger, but the vendor at the delicatessen peddled the line to him that those were the best things ever and came from some place called ‘Switzerland’ that was apparently really big on chocolate. Adessar had no idea what the woman was talking about. He'd never been to Earth and honestly didn't care too much, so he just listened to her praise with a blank stare and his mandibles in an approximation to a polite grin. However, the huge box she sold him in the end sported a picture of some impressive craggy mountains behind a sort of… furry animal with a flower crown between its horns, so he assumed it was the real deal. When he told her it was supposed to be a Valentine's present, she looked at him a bit quizzically first but then wrapped it nicely with a red bow and lots of glittery hearts on top.

_One down._

 

Now, the lingerie task seemed more daunting.

Adessar had no idea at all about human underwear customs. Turians weren't exactly big on it although lately there seemed to be more and more fancy fashion labels coming out with underclothes for different species, maybe that was in style at the moment? Anyway- His idea of a romantic encounter usually involved meeting people at the club or a similar venue and leaving the next morning before they woke, so underwear was mostly annoying things he'd casually shred en route to the real goods. When his conquests involved humans or asari, bras were even worse, because he had no idea what to do with breasts. Easier to skip extensive foreplay and ignore the bra altogether. Up to now, there had been no complaints, but then, he never stayed long enough to get any.

Adessar didn't dare ask Giuliani about those problems, afraid he'd be the talk of the precinct tomorrow, so he decided on enlisting someone's help who looked a little more similar to a human female.

The answer to his omni-tool came swiftly.

_Oooh I know who this will be for ;) Go to this address. Fancy shop. Expect to pay something but they've been in business for a hundred years and have the experience! Let me know how it went! Good luck, letch._

_Blue xoxo_

 

Good old T’Rani! Adessar sighed. Really, a shame she only went after other asari…

 

“May I help you?”

A very pleasant voice shook him from his pondering. Adessar focused on the shop assistant, a matronly-looking asari on the brink to reaching matriarch stage, wearing a long, exquisitely tailored dress that emphasized her curves and the lavender hue of her skin. She looked at him with a sort of patronizing concern, her hands palm upwards in a gesture of welcome.

_Get your shit together, Quintus. It can't be that difficult. Just like buying clothes for yourself. Stay cool._

He cleared his throat.

“I'm looking for something nice for my girlfriend. For… Valentine's Day”, he said in his most calm and mature voice while inwardly hating himself for sounding like a squeaky idiot. His subvocals were all over the place. He was nervous. Very nervous. Both at the notion of being here and at the realization of how easily the word “girlfriend” had left his mouth.

The asari smiled at him with a knowing expression. For sure, he wasn't the first flustered customer she encountered.

“Of course, sir. Something a little daring might be appropriate in this case. I suggest a lingerie set. The lady in question is human..?”

He swallowed again. “Yes.”

“Oh, how nice.”

Human-turian couples were still not the norm, not even on the Citadel, but he'd seen a documentary on long-term relationships and there were mentions about couples that had been together since First Contact or a few years later, and that made him feel a little better about the whole thing. It was 2182 after all, so why would some people still frown upon a human kink?! Maybe one day, if he ever managed to save up, he'd get around to inviting Miura to that place called Hawai'i that he heard was similar to Virmire. Apparently there was a nice guesthouse on the beach somewhere catering to interstellar travellers, run by a middle-aged human-turian couple. Sounded like a fun holiday.

The asari motioned him to a side of the shop, past a plethora of nightgowns, slinky dresses and camisoles made of transparent nothings meant for asari and towards a smaller display that he dubbed 'human corner' in his mind, where the sizing seemed a little less exaggerated.

“So, in order for me to find something that fits her character, what is she like? Is she the relaxed or more outgoing type? And do you know her size, by chance?”

Adessar shook his head in bewilderment.

“Uhm, she's mostly… the angry type. And aren't these things one-fits-all?”

_Not helping, Quintus._

The asari concealed a smirk while she studied his face. Definitely not the first time clueless males asked her that. When she spoke up, a sort of motherly concern showed in her voice.

“All right. We'll go for something classic in this case. Please describe her, so I can try and assess her size?”

Well, at least he could do that. He thrust out his hands and vaguely waved them around in the air under the asari's nose.

“About this tall, tiny waist and hips… like this.”

His thumbs and primary fingers nearly touching, he indicated a circle, then held out his hands a little further apart. There was definitely not very much to Chiho Miura to hold on to, he realized, but she made it up with so much barely controlled rage that she appeared much bigger.

“Uhm, bottoms size extra small then. How about chest circumference and underbust for the bra?”

_Oh shit._

Admitting defeat, Adessar shook his head. A little panic had started creeping up inside of him. This was definitely more difficult than he had thought! Why were humans so complicated? Why did they have so many strange curves and squishy bits that needed harnessing?!

“I don't even know if she wears one!” he squeaked helplessly, which was rewarded with a doubtful expression by the asari.

_Well done Quintus, now she thinks you’re a complete moron!_

“How about this, do you think it would fit?”

With infinite patience, the shop assistant had taken a shiny black something from the wall, covered in frills, dangling from its hanger by two glittery ribbons.

Adessar eyed the garment suspiciously. He extended one hand to touch it but then decided against it, for fear of doing something wrong. To be honest, it didn't look very practical to wear during patrols, and he sure couldn't picture Miura in this. If he remembered correctly, she didn't really have any breasts to show off anyway. The first time they slept together, they'd both been so worked up that they hadn't bothered with shedding more clothes than the bare minimum, and the second time she'd been covered in soap suds and he'd only seen her rear view in any case. But this was definitely too big.

He gave a frustrated sigh.

“I'm sorry. Do you have anything without those...”

His hands made small semi-circular motions in front of his chest.

“Cups, you mean? She must be of very slender build! Of course. We cater for all sizes.”

He trailed after the asari in defeat, hoping he would be able to leave soon, and hoping even more this shop had _something_ he could give to Miura that she would like, or at least wouldn't throw right back at him if she didn't. He silently cursed himself for believing Giuliani and his nonsense about a genetically inherited love for lingerie in girls.

“This one maybe? According to the latest fashion, it's popular with non-mammalian ladies too! There's adjustable ribbons here and the underbust band wraps around the waist. Width and strap length can be fully customized by the wearer, so it can fit anyone, we even offer alterations for Elcor sizes. It's called a bralette. We have matching panties that tie at the sides too.”

Adessar carefully took the hanger from her and admired the dainty straps connecting two lacy triangle-shaped patches to a long ribbon. It was awfully expensive for that little material, though he did respect the craftsmanship. To be honest, it still looked impractical for work, not even mentioning how much the bright pink colour was going to clash with C-Sec‘s blue and black, but in contrary to the frilly thing he'd been shown before, he could absolutely imagine Miura wearing this, those delicate straps taut over her shoulders, the wider ribbon crossing around her torso and waist, tied in a big bow at the small of her back… he found himself strangely attracted to this new thought. There was just something about her dressed in pink that got him every time, and this was definitely going to look fantastic in contrast with her velvety skin while he was bent over her, holding her down… He suppressed a growl, which didn't go unnoticed by the shop assistant.

“I'll take it! And matching panties too, size XS!” he said a little too vehemently, the image of Miura beckoning him closer while wrapped in that strappy thing at the front of his mind.

The asari chuckled knowingly and led him to the cashier's, where Adessar said goodbye to a good chunk of his paycheck.

_This better be worth it._

Back out on the boulevard, he took a deep breath, clutching the shiny shopping bag containing Miura's presents to his chest.

Finally done! Now for the most difficult part: Delivering the goods. Adessar was glad he had taken today off, all this shopping was the most tiring thing he'd done in a long time.

 

After a prolonged ride on CRT and some wandering around looking for that particular residential area, he started up his omni-tool in order to write her a short message.

_Hey Miura, you free today? Greets, Q._

The answer came quite swiftly, but was a little discouraging.

 _Yep. M._ _P.S: Who gave you my coordinates, asshole?_

If she signed her things with “M.” it always meant she wasn't up for anything. But Adessar wasn't going to back down now.

_I give you permission to maul Giuliani tomorrow. I'm in the vicinity. Mind if I come over? I'd like to see you. Q._

A few minutes of him treading from one foot to the other on the spot, trying not to appear too impatient while waiting.

_Gods, Giuliani's a sleazy prick! ...you're standing in front of my apartment, right? Fuck you. M._

 

Yet the door did open after a moment, revealing an as always very disgruntled looking Miura, dressed in a wrinkled tanktop and sweatpants, smelling faintly of alcohol. Adessar wasn't too skilled at reading human expressions yet, but she did look tired, and a bit sad. Running one hand through her short black hair, she stood to the side before giving an impatient wave which he took for an invitation.

“Hey, Chiho.”

“Shut it, asshole.”

“My pleasure.”

It took him a moment to get accustomed to the gloom inside. Miura's place was definitely not the cleanest nor the tidiest he'd ever seen. It was a smaller-sized apartment, typical for the middle districts, just one room with kitchen and living, sleeping quarters and tiny bathroom to the side.

He heard the door click shut with a hiss behind him and turned around to see her standing there with her arms crossed, upper lip curled as always.

“So, to what do I owe the honour of seeing your ugly mug here?” she asked with one eyebrow raised. It was typical Miura to say something like that, but somehow, the spiteful edge that was so _her_ was missing today.

Adessar felt his subvocals buzz with faint worry.

“You ok? You don't sound like youself at all.”

She flopped down on the couch with an irritated huff, her cheeks puffing out, then reached for a bottle of undefined booze standing on the table in front of her. So that was where the faint alcohol odor came from.

“Listen, I'm having a hard time, some idiot from my past thought it would be a good idea to contact me two days ago. I hate this 'blast from the past' bullshit! All I want to do is to get hammered in peace. Unless you have something wonderful to tell me, I'd appreciate you leaving.”

There was his cue.

 _Now or never_.

“Uhm, last night I asked Giuliani about the shop displays with the red hearts and... he said it's customary to give a present to friends..?”

He heard her snort before he even finished the sentence. Her hands still wrapped around the bottle, she shook her head with a sort of pity in her eyes, then took another swig and focused on his face.

“Adessar, listen. Valentine's Day sucks, it's just a scam. Plus, you know Giuliani is a moron! Did he feed you his bullshit about love and chocolates?”

_She's one of the Valentine's Day haters. Damn._

“Well I….”

Crestfallen, he remembered the presents he brought along and tried hiding the bag behind his back, but of course Miura was quick on the uptake as always. Her eyes went round with the sudden realization, and her lips forged a perfect 'O'.

“Shit, you believed Giuliani and got me something? Is that the reason why you're here?”

Feeling like a complete idiot, Adessar didn't dare look her in the eye as he nodded. When he spoke, he did so very hesitantly.

“Uhm... you looked a little down lately, so never mind the date, I thought it might be a good excuse to cheer you up?”

A chuckle came from her at his words, a surprisingly gentle sound. Maybe it was just the alcohol talking, but Adessar hoped it was the softer side of her that shone through on rare occasions, hidden between all the anger and spitefulness.

“You know, Quintus…. you might still be an ass, but this is the nicest thing that happened to me in a long, long time.”

Adessar exhaled, suddenly feeling himself filled with a new kind of positive courage. His mandibles relaxing a little, he thrust out the shiny bag to her, words just bubbling out of him.

„This is for you. There's real chocolates with a picture of a strange animal on the front! From a place called Sweetz-land! And... something pretty to wear underneath the armour. Giuliani said human females have a genetic predisposition for lacy things, right? You don't need to open it now, take your time.“

Miura looked a bit perplexed, but reached out to take the bag from him nonetheless.

“You got me chocolates. From Earth. And lingerie... because Giuliani fed you utter nonsense. Uhm, thank you?”

It came out like a question, and Adessar wondered if right now, there was a battle being fought between the nice and the angry part of her soul. Her face at least mirrored the war that had to be raging inside of her. The left corner of her mouth was quivering, unsure whether she should break out into a smile, or scowl as usual.

In the end, she settled for a growled “Leave before I get gooey, asshole”, and started ushering him towards the exit.

Since he knew her temper well enough, Adessar wasn't going to argue with her, but he didn't want to leave without putting up a fight either.

“How about dinner tomorrow after our shift? There’s a lovely fusion cuisine restaurant back in Tayseri that does both levo and dextro menu!”

She had the nerve to pretend to be thinking it over before pushing him out of the apartment with a resolute shove.

“It's a date. And put on something sharp, I don't like second-hand embarrassment.”

Before Adessar could reply anything, the door snapped shut in front of his nose. No matter how vehemently he knocked, she just wouldn't open the damn lock anymore. At one point, while he had one ear opening pressed to the cold metal, listening for a reaction, he thought he picked up some rustling and a little squeal from inside. Maybe she had found the lingerie. And liked it. Giuliani had been right about those genetic predispositions after all!

_Ah well. This could have gone a lot worse._

Adessar shrugged, walking back towards the CRT station with a feeling of relief in his chest and his mandibles set in a relaxed grin. Tomorrow was his first proper Valentine's Day. If he was lucky and Miura kept her date promise, it would involve a tasty dinner and a lacy pink something he knew was going to look absolutely fabulous on her.

 

_Thanks, Giuliani._


End file.
